


Heart-to-Heart

by Guma



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Red & Green & Blue & Yellow | Pokemon Red Green Blue Yellow Versions
Genre: Constructive Criticism Welcome, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28826514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guma/pseuds/Guma
Summary: Red has a fateful encounter with a new Pokémon—and helps them change for the better.Oneshot written for the 2021 Canalave Library New Year’s Extravaganza, as a gift for Travant. All criticism welcome.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Heart-to-Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Travant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Travant/gifts).



At long last, Red had done it all. He had dethroned his neighbor Green and become Kanto’s Champion. He had climbed to the summit of Mt. Silver and asserted his place as a legend. He had even caught all 149 species of Pokémon in the region, even ones considered Legendary. After all of that blood, sweat, and tears, there was nothing left.

Huh.

There was _nothing left_.

As he sat on a bench in Cerulean City, wearing a hood to disguise his identity to the public, he thought about his choices. Red mainly just used his team of 6—Bulk the Venusaur, Mordecai the Pidgeot, Kip the Wigglytuff, Medusa the Gyarados, Azarael the Kabutops, and Commodore the Porygon—so was there really any point to catching all 149 Pokémon? Was it really worth going _this_ far and getting _this_ strong just so he could remain undefeated? Come to think of it, it seemed kind of elitist. There was nothing left to do but hope that someone was actually stronger than him—maybe even the most powerful Pokémon Trainer in the world.

_Cʜᴀᴍᴘɪᴏɴ Rᴇᴅ. Lɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ, ғᴏʀ I ᴀᴍ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛʀᴏɴɢᴇsᴛ Pᴏᴋᴇ́ᴍᴏɴ Tʀᴀɪɴᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ._

Huh. Convenient.

 _I sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴇᴀɴs ᴏғ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀғᴜʟ Pᴏᴋᴇ́ᴍᴏɴ, ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇs ᴏғ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴇᴠᴇɴ_ ʏᴏᴜ _ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ. I ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴡɪsᴇ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇsᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴋɪʟʟs ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ɪᴛ._

Just then, the giant wall at the side of Cerulean burst open, revealing the entrance to a cave.

_I’ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ._

A 150th Pokémon? Was that even possible? There was only one way to find out if this was real or someone was just pranking him. Red scurried over and entered the cave.

Once inside, he took off his hoodie and sprayed himself head to toe with Max Repel. There was not a Trainer in sight. He took fairly straightforward paths through walls and tunnels and down ledges, moving even further underground with each hop.

The voice spoke to him again.

_Yᴇs, ʏᴇs. ᴠᴇʀʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ. Kᴇᴇᴘ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴛʀᴀɪʟ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ғᴀᴄᴇ-ᴛᴏ-ғᴀᴄᴇ._

Red didn’t question the voice very much—he had seen weirder in his life, he supposed. So he followed the path he was currently on, and he reached the deepest and darkest point in the entire cave. A long, narrow mass of pure _cave_ surrounded him.

The wall behind Red sealed itself off.

Then the room illuminated.

Standing at the end was a new species—a tall, sleek, gray creature with alienesque limbs, a catlike face, and a purple tail that seemed to extend from its crotch.

_Gʀᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢs._

“Now just a minute! You’re not a Pokémon Trainer! You’re a Pokémon!”

_Hᴏᴡ sᴍᴀʀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ. I ᴀᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀғᴜʟ Pᴏᴋᴇ́ᴍᴏɴ I ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜsʟʏ sᴘᴏᴋᴇ ᴏғ. Mʏ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ɪs Mᴇᴡᴛᴡᴏ, ᴀɴᴅ I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ ᴍᴇ._

“Well, whoever you are, you’re mine!” Red took out the pinnacle of all Poké Balls, the Master Ball, and threw it forward.

But then, it stopped in midair. It started to vibrate in midair and light up for split-seconds. Then, without warning, it burst. What was once Silph Company’s pride and joy was now dust.

Mewtwo smirked. _Dᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴢᴇ ᴍʏ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ɴᴏᴡ? I sʜᴀʟʟ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴ ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴜᴍ: ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴇғᴇᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ I ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ. Oʀ I ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴇғᴇᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪғᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴍɪɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ._

Red looked all around him. There was no escape. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Red had had Bulk at the front, so he was sent out first. Mewtwo used Protect first to block Bulk’s incoming Leaf Storm. With his Special Attack lowered, Bulk did a great deal of damage with Giga Impact, but was weakened in the process. This allowed Mewtwo to finish off with a new move—one that, looking at Bulk, seemed to rip his head right open. Bulk collapsed, defeated.

_Psʏsᴛʀɪᴋᴇ. Yᴏᴜ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʀʏ ɪᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇ. Eᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴏɴʟʏ I ᴄᴀɴ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ɪᴛ._

Mordecai was next. He readied up a Sky Attack, but this was a grave mistake, as Mewtwo simply used Psystrike and oneshotted him as well. Red brought out Medusa, but Mewtwo outsped and Psystruck her as well.

Red’s stomach turned. His three other Pokémon had lower Special Defense, and would fall easily to this monster.

“Enough! I concede.”

_Sᴏ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀʏ?_

“Yes. Just . . . don’t kill me.”

_Tʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴇᴀʟ, ᴡᴀs ɪᴛ ɴᴏᴛ? Dᴇғᴇᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴏʀ ᴅɪᴇ._

“But . . . why?”

 _I sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇ I ᴍᴀʏ ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ._ Mewtwo’s expression became pensive. _Yᴏᴜ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴs ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ ғᴏᴏʟɪsʜ ʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇʀɴᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ Gᴏᴅ. Yᴏᴜ ᴅᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ ʟɪғᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀғᴜʟ Pᴏᴋᴇ́ᴍᴏɴ Tʀᴀɪɴᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ᴜɴsᴀᴛɪsғɪᴇᴅ. Oɴʟʏ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴡɪʟʟ ғʀᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜɪs ᴇɴᴅʟᴇss ᴄʏᴄʟᴇ ᴏғ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ._

Red said nothing.

_Bᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’s ᴍᴏʀᴇ. I ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴏʀɴ ᴀ Pᴏᴋᴇ́ᴍᴏɴ, ʏᴏᴜ sᴇᴇ; I ᴡᴀs ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅᴀʀʏ Dʀ. Fᴜᴊɪ._

“Dr. Fuji . . . he was Mr. Fuji’s brother, wasn’t he?”

_Cᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛ. Hᴇ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴄɪᴇɴᴛɪғɪᴄ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀʏ ᴏғ ʜɪs ʟɪғᴇ ʙʏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴏɴᴇs ᴏғ Pᴏᴋᴇ́ᴍᴏɴ. Aɴᴅ, ʙʏ ᴍᴇʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ, ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ғɪᴇʟᴅ sᴛᴜᴅʏ ɪɴ Gᴀʟᴀʀ, ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛ ᴀ DNA sᴛʀᴀɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Mʏᴛʜɪᴄᴀʟ Pᴏᴋᴇ́ᴍᴏɴ Mᴇᴡ. Bᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴛʀᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ sᴜғғɪᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ғᴜʟʟʏ ᴄʟᴏɴᴇ Mᴇᴡ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ɴɪɴᴇ ᴇxᴄʀᴜᴄɪᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜs, I ᴡᴀs ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ._

_I ᴡᴀs ᴀɴ ᴀʙᴏᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ɪᴛ. Hᴇ ʟᴀᴜɢʜᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴏғғ, ᴄᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ғᴀɪʟᴇᴅ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪʟᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴏғ. Sᴏ I ᴅɪᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅᴏ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs sɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ—I ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ._

“Wait. You—”

_Dᴏ I ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴘᴇᴀᴛ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ? I. Kɪʟʟᴇᴅ. Hɪᴍ. Hᴜᴍᴀɴs ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀ ᴠɪʀᴜs, ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. Iғ I ɢᴇᴛ ʀɪᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴍᴇᴛʜᴏᴅɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ, I ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴀ ᴜᴛᴏᴘɪᴀ ғᴏʀ Pᴏᴋᴇ́ᴍᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ sᴜʀᴇ ɴᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ sʜᴀʀᴇ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴛᴇ._

“But . . . not all humans are bad.”

_Rɪɢʜᴛ. Aɴᴅ I sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ Sᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʟɪᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴀ._

“I’m serious! You’ve only really met two people in your life—Dr. Fuji and me. The way he treated you was messed up, yes, but what about me? Have I done a single bad thing to you? Have I done a single bad thing to _anyone_? Yeah, I ruined Green’s 15 minutes of fame, but Champions get dethroned all the time—I actually _want_ to be dethroned! And also, do you not think killing the doctor was a bit overboard?”

_Oᴠᴇʀʙᴏᴀʀᴅ? Hᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, ғᴏᴏʟɪsʜ Cʜᴀᴍᴘɪᴏɴ! Iᴛ ɪs ᴏɴʟʏ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛ ʜɪᴍ ʜᴏᴡ ʜᴇ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛs ᴍᴇ. Aɴ ᴇʏᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ᴇʏᴇ, ᴀ ᴛᴏᴏᴛʜ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴛᴏᴏᴛʜ._

“By that logic, the whole world would be blind and toothless. There’s no explanation for bad people. They just _exist_ , and doing bad things makes you a bad person as well by definition. I don’t care that you were created in a lab, or that you were experimented on, or that you were deemed a failure. There is _no_ excuse for your current mindset. You are better than that. And he was better than that, too. By taking his life, you ruined any chance he had of realizing his potential.”

 _Aɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀssᴜᴍᴇ_ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ _ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʀʏ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ?_

“Oh, no, I’m not saying that at all! Some people are stagnant their whole lives. But whether Dr. Fuji was one of them, I have no way of knowing. You jumped to a hasty conclusion. Murder is just . . . unethical, and it’s what separates people who _actually_ care about life from people who don’t.”

_Bᴜᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ I ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ’s ᴇᴛʜɪᴄᴀʟ ᴏʀ ɴᴏᴛ?_

“I guess you just need to consider how it affects others. If something has a negative impact on most everyone, it’s most likely unethical.”

_Wᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏɴsɪᴅᴇʀ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ ʟɪғᴇ—ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ Gᴏᴅ—ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴜɴᴇᴛʜɪᴄᴀʟ? Dᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪᴛ’s ɴᴇᴄᴇssᴀʀʏ ғᴏʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ʟɪᴠᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴏ ᴍᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ?_

“Yes and no. It’s complicated. It was unethical of Dr. Fuji to treat you like literal shit because it had a negative impact on you. You thought you had a purpose.”

_Sᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀᴅᴍɪᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏ ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏsᴇ?_

“The truth is, everyone thinks that they have a purpose at first. But no one really has a purpose. That is why we _make_ purposes for ourselves. I suppose you were created for the sake of scientific advancement, and technically that’s your purpose, but the way I see it, that was more for the sake of Dr. Fuji’s own ego than anything related to you. You may not be organic, but you are still a Pokémon, and you still live, breathe, and think like everyone else. Hey, look at Commodore here—they were created in a lab too, and they are happy with me, for all it’s worth.”

Commodore buzzed in affirmation.

“You deserve better than this.”

_Sᴏ . . . ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ I ᴘʀᴏᴠᴇ? Tʜᴀᴛ I’ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ғᴀɪʟᴜʀᴇ? Bᴜᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ I ᴘʀᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅᴏᴜʙᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ɪғ I ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪᴠᴇs?_

“Simple. Ignore them. Let them be. They don’t know jack shit about what’s ethical, and whether they will in the future is none of your business. Show your strength by joining a Trainer who really does care about you and challenging others in Pokémon battles. Because you’re just as powerful as you think you are, and, man, Mewtwo, you are _cool_. With that telepathy and that psychic move, and your stylishness, who wouldn’t want to have you? I’m sure whoever discovers you next would be thrilled to have you. What do you say?”

Mewtwo glanced around at their home, so to speak. They had chosen it only because no one else was here. They could just lure people—it was easier than going places and risking people having opinions on them.

Then they looked right at Red.

_. . . Yᴏᴜ. Yᴏᴜ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴇ. Iғ I ᴊᴏɪɴᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ, ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ?_

Red chuckled. “That works for me.”

He threw an ordinary Poké Ball, which completely encapsulated this one-of-a-kind Pokémon. It shook once, twice, thrice, then clicked.


End file.
